Samsung Will Discontinue its Messages App; Microsoft-Copilot Just for Entertainment Purposes; Used EV Prices Spike; LinkedIn Scans Chrome 6,000 Browser Extensions-Your Protection or Gathering Data?

If you have been using Messages on your Samsung device, get set to change apps. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung has put out an ‘End of Service Announcement’ for the US starting in July 2026. It will not affect really old devices, but if you have a halfway recent Samsung phone or the like…using Android 12 or newer…Samsung will guide you to Google Messages. This will happen with both an in-app notification and on-screen instructions. On Android 14+, the Google Messages icon will automatically shift to your home screen dock after switching. I couldn’t find where it imports your old messages, so you may be on your own on that.

We have done a number of stories that have covered how AI pretty frequently ‘hallucinates,’ or lies. Recently, the California Bar sent out a warning to attorneys telling them to check case citations and statute cites in filings with courts…or face fines and discipline should they submit filings with fake cases, etc. Now, it turns out Microsoft has re-affirmed that Copilot is for ‘entertainment purposes only,’ and if used for work, it should only be used as the first of multiple stages of fact-checking…rather than being relied upon. According to techradar.com, Microsoft says about Copilot “It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don’t rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk.” They are really trying to avoid liability here, and want users to know the AI is a tool, not a decision maker. Here’s the key line: “You agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless… from and against any claims, losses, and expenses… arising from or relating to your use of Copilot.” A hold harmless agreement…please do use it as a tool…it’s not ‘intelligent’ as the description Artificial Intelligence would imply!

This may seem to be a no kidding story, but Used EV prices are spiking along with gasoline prices. Wired.com notes that Cox Automotive data shows used EV prices up 12% since the 1st of the year. Edmunds also sees shopper research into EVs up several percentage points since the 1st of the year. So..just as Trump’s war has pushed gas prices up, and as the federal government discontinued the $7500 credit, so new EV sales fell and car makers throttled back production, the demand has gone up significantly for used EVs. EVs had been notably more expensive than gas models, but according to Cox Automotive, the average used EV is now just $1300 more than the average gas model. I know someone with a 120 mile a day commute. Even with a new $400 a month car payment on a used EV and the cost for charging it, he is saving $100 a month on gas. in 90 days, he will have erased that price premium. When the car is paid off, he will save even more. Food for thought in this time of extra pain at the pump. 

They claim it is for you protection, but every time you use LinkedIn on a Chrome browser, LinkedIn runs a hidden routine that probes your browser for more than 6,000 installed extensions, collects 48 hardware and software characteristics about your device, encrypts the resulting fingerprint, and attaches it to every API request you make during your session. Thenextweb.com reports that the scan is not disclosed in LinkedIn’s privacy policy. They insist that it is for your security. Ir also collects 48 different characteristics about your device. It collects info about competitors with its own sales tools, and also lists tools associated with neurodivergent conditions, religious practice, political interests, and job-hunting activity. The EU is investigating, as these qualify as sensitive personal data under their General Data Protection Regulation. Want to limit this? Use LinkedIn with Firefox, Safari, or another browser besides Chrome or Microsoft’s own browser. You will have to hunt for a setting to curb the scan, though. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.